Incinerator system for on-site completion fluid removal and methods of using the same

Abstract

An incinerator system includes an evaporator tank having a fluid inlet, a steam vent, and an evaporation cavity and a heating assembly having a plurality of heating rods mounted on a rod spacing mechanism and disposed in the evaporation cavity of the evaporator tank. The rod spacing mechanism is configured to move the plurality of heating rods within the evaporation cavity. The incinerator system also includes a sensor system having a plurality of sensors positioned to perform one or more sensor measurements in the evaporation cavity and a programmable logic controller communicatively coupled to the sensor system and the heating assembly. The programmable logic controller is configured to instruct the rod spacing mechanism to move at least one of the plurality of heating rods based on the one or more sensor measurements.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An incinerator system comprising:
 an evaporator tank comprising a fluid inlet, a steam vent, and an evaporation cavity; 
 a heating assembly comprising a plurality of heating rods disposed in the evaporation cavity of the evaporator tank and configured to move independently in a lateral direction within the evaporation cavity; 
 a sensor system comprising a plurality of sensors positioned to perform one or more sensor measurements in the evaporation cavity; and 
 a programmable logic controller communicatively coupled to the sensor system and the heating assembly, wherein the programmable logic controller provides control signals to move at least one of the plurality of heating rods laterally within the evaporation cavity based on the one or more sensor measurements. 
 
     
     
       2. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable logic controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of heating rods and is configured to alter the heat generated by at least one of the plurality of heating rods based on the one or more sensor measurements. 
     
     
       3. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable logic controller is communicatively coupled to an inlet choke of the fluid inlet and is configured to alter a diameter of the inlet choke based on the one or more sensor measurements. 
     
     
       4. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of sensors are arranged in a plurality of sensor arrays; 
 each sensor array comprises multiple sensors arranged lengthwise along an inner surface of the evaporator tank; 
 each sensor array includes at least one temperature sensor; and 
 the plurality of sensor arrays are uniformly spaced from one another circumferentially along the inner surface of the evaporator tank. 
 
     
     
       5. The incinerator system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one sensor of each sensor array comprises a pressure sensor. 
     
     
       6. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a temperature sensor, at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a pressure sensor, and at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a rheology sensor. 
     
     
       7. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor system further comprises a flow sensor and a rheology sensor each disposed in the fluid inlet. 
     
     
       8. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator tank comprises a chimney top, the steam vent extends through the chimney top, and the steam vent comprises a venting valve. 
     
     
       9. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the evaporator tank further comprises a waste outlet and a base; and 
 the waste outlet is closer to the base than the fluid inlet. 
 
     
     
       10. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein the incinerator system comprises a hydraulic piston mechanism for moving the heating rods in lateral directions. 
     
     
       11. The incinerator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the fluid inlet is fluidly coupled to a completion fluid source by a fluid input pathway; 
 a waste reservoir is fluidly coupled to a waste outlet of the evaporator tank by a waste pathway; 
 a bypass valve is fluidly coupled to the fluid input pathway and a bypass pathway; and 
 the bypass pathway is fluidly coupled to the waste reservoir, bypassing the evaporator tank. 
 
     
     
       12. The incinerator system of  claim 11 , wherein a flushing pump is fluidly coupled to the waste outlet.